On Friday, January 30, Parker’s varsity basketball teams took on Latin for the second time this year. The annual Clark Street Classic meetup saw the UIC stadium packed with hundreds of spectators dressed in orange and blue. The Clark Street Classic series is a twice-annual match in which Parker’s girls and boys varsity basketball teams compete against Latin. For the girls, this is their one opportunity to face their rival school. 

“For us to be successful against Latin, the key is to focus on the things we can control, specifically preparation,” Girls varsity captain Miriam Johnson said. The emphasis on preparation was not just about getting in shape for the 32-minute matchup—it was also about ensuring that the team was ready to take on the mental challenge of facing a tough rival in front of hundreds of peers. “Historically, Blue Out has been a tough game for girls basketball because Latin usually is one of the best teams in our conference,” Johnson said. The girls prepared for Friday’s game based on their previous games with the Latin girls team. With Latin’s historical strength, the girls team sought to rewrite the narrative by putting in a conscious effort to win the game before it had even started. 

For the boys, however, Friday marked the second matchup between the Latin and Parker Boys varsity teams. During the meeting earlier this year, Parker emerged victorious, winning 57-48. Friday’s game saw pride on the line for both teams, but for Parker, there was more at stake. The packed UIC stadium bore witness to a Parker team fighting for more than just a win over a rival team. Entering the game with a 3-0 record in conference play, Parker boys varsity found themselves in unfamiliar territory: contention for the conference championship. A conference title in 2026 would mark the end to a more than 20-year drought in the school’s performance. Parker was a serious threat to capture its first conference championship this century. The weight of that history hung over the game like a challenge. For a program that’s been building toward this moment, Friday’s matchup was less about revenge and more about validation. Could they beat Latin?

Boys varsity captain Brady Harris, is in his third year on varsity. “It’s not just an important game. The conference championship is on the line,” Harris said. “If we win, that would be huge for us,” With so much at stake, the team was hard at work in preparation. “The team is doing a lot of cardio right now, we want to be fully in shape, flying around the court,” Harris said. Harris added that each team member has been running two miles every day outside of practice.

On Friday, the historically tough matchup for the girls team proved every bit the challenge they expected. Despite taking an early lead and finishing strong, the Parker girls varsity squad would lose to Latin 49-22. The loss isn’t the full story. Despite being down by more than 20 points going into the fourth quarter, the Colonels kept their heads held high and continued playing basketball for the rest of the game, winning the quarter, and holding on to their pride despite the tough challenge that faced them.

The night would also see another loss for Parker during the boys game. The Colonels’ push for a conference title would be stopped by the Latin Romans. The Colonels were off to a slow start scoring only two points through the first quarter. Fighting from behind for all 32 minutes of Friday’s game, the boys game ended 45-31. Despite the loss for the boys varsity squad, the Parker team is continuing their season and is looking ahead. Junior varsity captain Matthew Oppenheimer reflected on the loss, saying. “It’s a heartbreaking loss, but we are still chasing that title,” Oppenheimer said.